Social welfare spending (Over Time)

We are faced with many problems in this country, none of which can be solved easily or inexpensively. I'm going to name some of these problems, and for each one I'd like you to tell me whether you think we're spending too much money on it, too little money, or about the right amount. K. Welfare. (General Social Survey 2014 Cross-Section and Panel Combined)

Social Welfare Spending by Year (General Social Survey, 1973 - 2014)

Too little

About the right amount

Too much

Don't know

No answer

2014

19.3

30.8

46.4

3.3

0.1

2012

19.5

33.3

43.8

3.1

0.3

2010

21.8

34.8

40.6

2.8

0.0

2008

23.2

37.2

36.0

3.5

0.0

2006

24.3

35.4

37.2

2.9

0.1

2004

23.0

34.1

40.4

2.4

0.0

2002

20.5

37.0

39.2

3.0

0.2

2000

20.0

37.7

36.8

5.1

0.4

1998

16.0

36.1

43.3

4.5

0.1

1996

15.1

25.9

55.8

3.1

0.1

1994

12.5

23.8

59.7

3.6

0.4

1993

16.3

24.8

53.6

5.0

0.4

1991

22.0

34.5

37.0

5.2

1.3

1990

22.0

34.4

37.8

5.2

0.6

1989

22.7

29.7

41.4

5.5

0.8

1988

22.6

31.5

41.4

3.3

1.3

1987

22.0

29.3

43.4

4.5

0.8

1986

22.2

33.4

40.3

3.6

0.5

1985

18.5

32.8

44.5

4.0

0.3

1984

23.7

33.1

39.4

2.7

1.2

1983

21.3

27.9

46.5

4.0

0.3

1982

20.2

27.5

47.8

4.4

0.1

1980

13.4

25.7

56.3

4.2

0.3

1978

13.0

24.9

58.2

3.7

0.2

1977

12.3

22.9

59.5

4.9

0.4

1976

13.3

22.3

59.7

4.3

0.4

1975

23.3

28.4

42.6

5.3

0.4

1974

22.1

31.7

42.0

4.0

0.2

1973

19.7

24.3

51.2

4.3

0.5

Notes

Frequencies from GSS 1972-2002 were weighted by OVERSAMP. 2004 frequencies were weighted by WT2004. Frequencies for 2006 and 2008 were weighted by WTSS and frequencies for 2010 were weighted by WTCOMBNR. The 2012 and 2014 frequencies were weighted by WTCOMB

The General Social Surveys (GSS) have been conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) annually since 1972, except for the years 1979, 1981, and 1992 (a supplement was added in 1992), and biennially beginning in 1994. The GSS are designed to be part of a program of social indicator research, replicating questionnaire items and wording in order to facilitate time-trend studies. This data file has all cases and variables asked on the 2014 GSS. There are a total of 3,842 cases in the data set but their initial sampling years vary because the GSS now contains panel cases. Sampling years can be identified with the variable SAMPTYPE.